Conquer Giovanni in Pokémon GO: February 2025 Guide

The leader of Team GO Rocket, Giovanni, is making a comeback in Pokémon GO this February 2025 with a freshly updated roster to challenge trainers. Recently, during the Fashion Week Takeover event, Team GO Rocket made some adjustments to their Pokémon lineup, including Giovanni’s team. This event introduced new special research tasks aimed at providing players more chances to take on the formidable Boss.

Giovanni remains one of the toughest opponents in the game, thanks to his high CP Pokémon that can easily overpower unprepared trainers. To effectively face him, it’s important to build a team that counters his Pokémon and takes advantage of their weaknesses. Before you can challenge Giovanni, you’ll need to defeat several Grunts, followed by the GO Rocket Leaders: Sierra, Arlo, and Cliff. Successfully completing this will reward you with a Super Rocket Radar, which allows you to locate Giovanni by spinning PokéStops and Gyms.

Giovanni’s Lineup & Counters (February 2025)

Fighting, Water, and Fairy Types Can Dominate

In this month’s update, Giovanni’s team features one significant change: the return of the powerful Shadow Palkia as his final Pokémon. As a Dragon- and Water-type, Palkia is among the strongest Pokémon in the game, possessing only two weaknesses. Therefore, it’s crucial to prepare your team accordingly for the best chance at defeating him. Giovanni will deploy three waves of Pokémon, with one of three options randomly selected for his second Pokémon in each match.

As usual, Giovanni starts with a Generation One Normal-type Persian. For his second Pokémon, he may randomly select one from three powerful options: Poison- and Ground-type Nidoking, Dragon- and Water-type Kingdra, or Rock- and Ground-type Rhyperior.

If you find yourself at a disadvantage in a battle, you can try again later, as Giovanni may use a different Pokémon the next time you face him. Despite this, February 2025 presents an opportunity with a more varied type selection, making it a bit easier than in previous months.

One effective lineup this month consists of Machamp, Swampert, and Togekiss to take down Giovanni. Since he’ll always lead with Persian, starting with a powerful Fighting-type is crucial. Machamp is the best choice, as it can quickly defeat Persian while also breaking Giovanni’s shields. Alternatively, you can use another Fighting-type like Lucario.

For his second Pokémon, Swampert, being a Water- and Ground-type, is a strong contender against either Nidoking or Rhyperior. Rhyperior is doubly weak to Water-type moves, and Nidoking is also susceptible to them. Finally, opt for a Pokémon with Fairy-type moves, making Togekiss an excellent choice. Kingdra and Palkia are vulnerable to Fairy-type attacks, allowing Togekiss to cover the remaining Pokémon options.

Rewards for Defeating Rocket Leader Giovanni (February 2025)

A Chance to Catch Shadow Palkia

When you defeat Giovanni this February, you’ll earn several rewards, with the top prize being the chance to catch the elusive Shadow Palkia. While there’s no guarantee you’ll catch it, using Golden Berries can increase your odds. Shadow Palkia is a valuable choice in the Ultra Cup of the GO Battle League, so it’s worth making the effort to secure it.

In addition to the chance to catch Shadow Palkia, each victory over Giovanni nets you 5,000 Stardust. This resource is crucial for powering up your Pokémon, enhancing their CP for various battles and raids. You’ll also receive three random items from a selection of five; these items include 4 Revives, 4 Max Revives, 4 Hyper Potions, 4 Max Potions, or 1 Unova Stone.

This February 2025, Team GO Rocket Leader Giovanni offers a challenging encounter in Pokémon GO, but with the right selection of Fighting-, Water-, and Fairy-type Pokémon, victory is within reach.